1) too much clutter in the kitchen, all kinds of things (some that dont even belong in a kitchen) taking up valuable counter space, not enough counter space to work on

2) everyone who uses the fridge opens it to take something out and leaving the door wide open while using the item, ie. taking the pitcher of juice out to the glass on the counter meanwhile the door is wide open, not shutting it since they figure they will be putting the pitcher back inside soon

(as a chef, i can only think of the fridge temp rising exponentially and all the food inside getting spoiled)

3) large pieces of celery in a salad... i can eat celery stems w blue cheese, but when chunks of celery, like 1/2 inch slices are in a salad i just lose it!! i like them in salad, however, very thinly sliced

I know this isn't the way many people feel about the kitchen,BUT I don't like people in the kitchen who aren't helping out AND I don't want anyone washing their hands in my kitchen sink unless they are there to help. I have others, but those two are top of my list.

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licia, I'm with you on the first one!! I don't know how many times people have been at my house and WATCHED as I made dishes from cutting and measuring, all the way to putting it on the table and never even asked if they could help. Then, leave before asking if they could help clean up!!!
My only other that really ticks me off to no end, when my boys empty out the dish washer and don't put things where they belong so that I can't find it when I need it!!!! ARGH!!!!

One thing that drives me crazy is when my teen helps out with the cooking and doesnt clean as she goes. She'll just leaves dirty pots and pans, utensils, dirty counters.

And as some of you mentioned, when people unload the dishwasher and put things in the wrong place.

One more, when the garbage bad is obviously full, and they keep pushing it down rather than take out the garbage! And on the rare occassion they do take out the garbage, they dont put a new bag in the trash can!

Hubby unloading the dish washer and throwing stuff where ever. I usually set pots with their lids in the cabinet, hubby just bunches them all together. Tupperware is just tossed into the cabinet. He can't load the dish washer either!!!

I know this isn't the way many people feel about the kitchen,BUT I don't like people in the kitchen who aren't helping out.

To be perfectly honest, I really don't like other people, like guests, for all their good intentions, trying to help me in the kitchen, unless they really know what they are doing and can get things done efficiently. They seldom do things the way I do, and it is annoying, but since they are generously "helping", I don't have a heart to complain or lecture them on how to do it.

(the only exception is Cris's kids, when we try to give them some culinary education )

When they come to me and say "can I help you with something?" with their mouth and the eyes saying "but I have no clue what I am supposed to do!" I am so tempted to say "yeah you can do me a favour by get out of here immediately and chat with someone else!" of course I can't be so rude as I know they mean well... but...

Another pet peeve in the kitchen is things piling up in the sink. I am almost paranoid about it, I am so obsessed with "wash as I cook" routine, I am continuously in a danger of burning something on a stove while I try to scrub on a few pieces of knives and ladles...

I'm the 'chef' so things pretty much get done the way I like (In the kitchen anyway, as my rule (truth be told) extends to only limitied portions of the castle.). Except for my girlfriend (who knows what I like) no other 'help' is allowed.

In a home kitchen, wash as you go is essential - or production will grind to a stop pretty quickly as space and equipment both run out.